Electricity price in Germany today

One zone with Luxembourg, overseen by the Bundesnetzagentur

Germany and Luxembourg have formed the DE-LU bidding zone since 1 October 2018, when the earlier common zone with Austria was split because the lines between the two countries could not carry unlimited trade. Prices for each hour of the next day come out of the European day-ahead auction (SDAC). The Bundesnetzagentur regulates the grids and approves what they may charge, and four companies run the high-voltage network: 50Hertz, Amprion, TenneT and TransnetBW.

Households choose their supplier freely. Customers who have never switched are in the Grundversorgung, the default supply from the company with the most household customers in their grid area. Since 2025 every supplier must also offer a dynamic tariff that follows the exchange price; it requires a smart meter.

Netzentgelte, Stromsteuer and the 2026 levies

Only part of a German bill pays for the electricity itself. Network charges (Netzentgelte) are set per grid operator and vary noticeably between regions. The Stromsteuer adds 2.05 cents per kWh; the tax cut that took effect in 2026 applies to industry, agriculture and forestry, not to homes. Three levies ride on the network bill in 2026: the KWKG levy for combined heat and power (0.446 ct), the § 19 StromNEV surcharge (1.559 ct) and the offshore grid levy (0.941 ct). A concession fee for using municipal land depends on the municipality.

VAT of 19% is then charged on all of it. The EEG surcharge, which for two decades paid for wind and solar through the electricity bill, was set to zero in July 2022 and has since been funded from the federal budget instead.

Why German hours swing so much

Weather now moves the price more than anything else. With strong wind and midday sun, renewables can cover almost all demand, and the price slides to zero or below, especially on weekends and public holidays. In calm, dark winter spells, known as Dunkelflaute, gas-fired plants set the price for many hours, so the cost of gas and of EU carbon allowances feeds straight through.

The grid adds a constraint of its own: most wind power is generated in the north, large consumers sit in the south and west, and transmission lines lag behind. Throttling plants on one side of the bottleneck and starting others on the other side costs money, and that redispatch bill ends up in network charges rather than in the exchange price.

Wind first, coal still in the mix

Onshore turbines across the northern states and offshore wind farms in the North Sea and the Baltic deliver the largest share. Solar has grown quickly, from rooftops in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg to large ground-mounted parks, and dominates the middle of the day from spring to autumn. Lignite from the Rhineland and Lusatia and imported hard coal still supply a large part, together with gas, while biogas and biomass give a steady base. Hydro plays only a minor role, mainly in the Alpine south, and nuclear power has been absent since 2023.

Between French nuclear and Polish coal

Germany sits at the centre of the continental grid and trades power with all its neighbours. Denmark, with its large wind fleet, often shares the German price when the wind blows across both countries. France relies on nuclear power and often sends electricity east when its reactors run well. Poland leans far more heavily on coal, while Austria, which shared a price zone with Germany until 2018, balances the system with Alpine hydro and pumped storage.